Composite dispensing package

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a composite package in which rod like articles, such as cigarettes, cigars and the like, are packaged. Composite package includes an inner box element which carries the product and an outer casing element. The casing includes a sleeve that surrounds the box element and will slide in relation thereto. The casing element has a flap integrally formed with the sleeve which restrains a lid portion of the box element so that the lid will open as the box element is pushed upwardly through the sleeve.

United States Patent 11 1 Phillips, Jr. 1 Jan. 7, 11975 1 COMPOSITE DISPENSING PACKAGE 3,099,382 7/1963 Talbert 229/44 CB 3,311,283 3/1967 Shimada et a1... [75] Inventor af g E 3,773,247 11/1973 Mueller 229/44 CB 1ns onaem,

[73] Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Primary ExaminerLeonard Summer Winston-Sal NC, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Grover M. Myers; Manford H' t 1221 Filed: June 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 367,597 [57] ABSTRACT v This disclosure relates to a composite package in 52 us CL 229 44 CB, 20 2 229/11 which rod like articles, such as cigarettes, cigars and [51 Int. Cl 365d 5/66, 865d 85/10 the like, are packaged- Composite Package includes 53 Field f Search 206/250, 264, 268 7 an inner box element which carries the product and an 229 44 CB 20, 1 1 outer casing element. The casing includes a sleeve that surrounds the box element and will slide in relation 5 References Cited I thereto. The casing element has a flap integrally formed with the sleeve which restrains a lid portion of UNITED STATES PATENTS the box element so that the lid will open as the box elg fl ii 5 3 2? ement is pushed upwardly through the sleeve. 3I04sj320 8/1962 Hovlandeial:11:11::III: 229/20 1 Claim, 18 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH W5 3,858,788

SHEEI 30F 3 FIGME COMPOSITE DISPENSING PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a composite package for a 5 product and, in particular, for rod-like articles, such as cigarettes, cigars, etc.

In recent years, many different types of crush-proof boxes for packaging cigarettes have been developed to lo overcome the shortcomings of the soft packages which were used in the cigarette industry for many years. The crush-proof boxes provide better protection for the product as well as permitting the package to be readily reclosed, thereby preventing tobacco or cigarettes from falling from the package to the users pocket or purse. The crush-proof box also provides easier access to the product than the soft pack since the top portion is pivoted rearwardly, exposing the entire upper portion of the product.

Of the many different types of crush-proof boxes which have been developed in recent years, there are three basic kinds. The first kind is the regular flip-top" box which was initially used by the cigarette industry. These boxes are made from a single blank which is folded so that the upper portion forms the top or lid of the box and hinges on the rear wall. The lid can be pivoted rearwardly to expose the contents of the package. The cigarettes are inserted very tightly in these packages, thus, making it difficult to remove the first few cigarettes from the box. The top of the box also has a tendency to reclose; and, on many occasions, it becomes a nuisance to have to reopen the box when more than one cigarette is to be taken from the box.

To overcome that problem, the swing and push-type boxes were developed. One such swing box is illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,037,678 while a push-type box is illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,311,283. It has been found that these types of boxes are much more costly than the regular flip-top box in that the packaging machinery used in the cigarette industry requires much modification before the swing package or the push package, illustrated in either of the above-mentioned patents, could be made. One example of a costly change in the packaging machinery which would be required when using the swing-type package would be the requirement to change the machinery to place the tear string for the cellophane outer wrapping around the side of the package and run the cellophane tear string from top to bottom rather than around the top of the package as is normally the case. Although this may not appear to be a major problem, the cost of modification in the equipment almost prohibits the use of the swingtype packages in industry today.

The push-type package illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,311,283 is much more complex than the regular flip-top box and, thus, would require much more equipment modification before it could be commercially used. It is also more costly in that it requires more material to make the package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a crush-proof box which will overcome the problems mentioned hereinabove encountered with both the soft package and the flip-top boxes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a crushproof box which will not require extensive modification of existing cigarette packaging machinery.

These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention through the use of a composite carton which will accommodate a plurality of cigarettes, little cigars and the like. The carton includes an inner box element and a slideable outer casing element. The inner box element has a product container portion with a pivotable lid or top portion integrally connected to the back panel of the product container portion along its upper edge. The product container portion also has a recessed portion in its front panel to provide easy access to the product container portion when the box is opened. The inner dimensions of the lid portion when folded are slightly greater than the outer dimensions of the product container portion, whereby the front panel of the product container portion will extend into the lid portion. The front panel of the lid portion is deeper than the lid portions back panel; therefore, the lid front panel will extend over the recessed portion in the front panel of the product container portion when the lid is closed.

The slideable outer casing element which surrounds the product container portion of the box element has a forward and rear panel connected along one side by an intermediate side panel. The forward and rear panels have side panels along their opposite side which will overlap when the blank is folded into a sleeve. Along the upper edge of the casing element rear panel is a flap which is attached to the top panel of the lid portion of the box element. The length of the forward, rear and side panels is slightly less than the length of the product container portion of the box element. When the casing is positioned on the box element and the flap is secured to the top panel of the lid, the lower end of the box element will extend below the bottom edge of the sleeve if the lid is in the closed position.

The composite carton can be opened by pressing on the bottom of the box element and forcing it upward through the sleeve. The flap will inhibit the upward movement of the lid portion causing it to be pivoted rearwardly along a hinge line between the lid portion and the product container portion of the box element. The rearward movement of the lid portion exposes the products in the product container portion more readily and the lid is also prevented from returning to a closed position by the restraint placed on the lid by the flap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the composite carton according to the present invention with the lid in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the composite carton relative to the present invention with the lid in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the blank utilized to form the box element;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the blank utilized to form the casing element;

FIGS. 7 13 disclose a sequential process for folding the box element blank;

FIGS. 14 16 disclose a sequential process for folding the casing blank element; and FIGS. 17 and 18 disclose a sequential process for inserting the box element into the casing element.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIGS.

1-4, the numeral 10 indicates a composite carton havwhich is formed integrally with the rear top edge of the sleeve and is attached to the lid portion of the box element.

BLANK DESCRIPTION The composite box is formed from a box blank 24 and a casing blank 26 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. The blanks are preferably formed from a foldable sheet material such as paper board and can be stamped out in the usual manner as is known in the art. The method of folding both the box blank 24 and the casing blank 26 will be explained after a detailed description of each of the blanks next to follow.

The box element 24 (as seen in FIG. 5 which shows the inside surface of the blank) has a generally rectangular shape with a back panel 28 of the product container portion located entirely within the boundaries of the blank. The back panel 28 is generally rectangular in shape with the longer legs of the panel being along the side of the panel and defining folded lines 30 and 32. Connecting to back panel 28 at fold lines 30 and 32 are inner side panels 34 and 36. The short legs of the back panel define fold lines 38 and 40 which are at the juncture of a lid back panel 42 and a bottom panel 44.

Along the opposite edge of bottom panel 44 from back panel 28 at fold line 46 is a generally rectangular front panel 48 which is identical in size to the back panel 28. Extending outward from front panel 48 along its sides are outer side panels 50 and 52 which are separated from front panel 48 by fold lines 54 and 56, respectively. The top edge of front panel 48 has a recessed portion 57 which extends almostthe entire width of the panel. On fold lines 54 and 56 contiguous to the recessed portion 57 are cut lines in the box blank which form cars 58 and 59. The purpose of the re-- cessed portion and the ears will be discussed hereinafter. Hingely connected to the inner side panels 34 and 36 at fold lines 60 and 62 are inner side tabs 64 and 66. The tabs 64 and 66 are disconnected from bottom panel 44 and outer side panels 50 and 52 along cut lines 78, 80, 78 and 80'.

As mentioned above, integrally formed with back panel 28 at the fold line 38 is lid back panel 42. The fold line 38 also acts as a hinge line along which the lid portion 16 can be pivoted rearwardly. Attached to each side of the lid back panel 42 are lid inner side tabs 82 and 84. These tabs are separated from inner side panel 34 and 36 by slanted cut lines 86 and 88. lntegrally formed with the tabs'82 and 84 on the side opposite cut lines 86 and 88 at fold lines 90 and 91 are top tabs 92 and 93.

Connected to lid back panel 42 along fold line 94 and between top tabs 90 and 92 is a lid top panel 96 which forms at the top of the lid portion of the box element. Attached to the lid top panel 96 opposite the lid back panel is a lid front panel 98. The lid front panel 98 generally rectangular in shape is larger than the lid back panel 42, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. Attached to the lid front panel 98 along fold line 100 is an inner lid front panel 102. On the opposite sides of lid front panel 98 at fold lines 104 and 106 are lid outer side tabs 108 and 109, each having a slanted edge 110 and 111 corresponding to slanted cut lines 86 and 88 on panels 34 and 36.

The lid outer side tabs 108 and 109 are disconnected from the top tabs 92 and 93 along cut lines 112 and 114, and the top tabs 92 and 93 are disconnected from top panel 96 along cut lines 116 and 118.

Turning now to the detailed description of the casing blank (in FIG. 6 which shows the inside surface of the casing blank), a sleeve portion 20 in the casing blank 26 is generally rectangular in shape and includes a sleeve rear panel 120 interposed between a sleeve inner side panel 122 and an intermediate sleeve side panel 124. Fold lines 126 and 128 are at the juncture of the inner side panel 122 and back panel 120 and the intermediate side panel 124 and the back panel. Adjacent intermediate side panel 124 is a sleeve forward panel 130 which is slightly shorter in height than the rear panel 120. A fold line 132 is at the juncture of panel 124 and front panel 130. Along the side of the front panel 130 opposite side panel 124 is an outer sleeve side panel 134 which begins at the fold line 136.

The upper edges 138, and 142 of side panels 122, 124 and 134, respectively, are sloped to correspond with the slanted cut lines 86 and 88 and slanted edges 110 and 111 of box element 24. lntegrally formed with the sleeve 20 is the sleeve flap 22 which is attached to the upper edge of sleeve rear panel 120 at fold line 144. The sleeve flap 22 has a sleeve flap rear panel 146 beginning at fold line 144 which corresponds to lid back panel 42. Attached to the opposite of flap rear panel 146 at fold line 148 is sleeve flap top panel 150 which is slightly smaller in size to the lid top panel 96 on the box element to which it will be attached.

FOLDING PROCEDURE FIG. 7 illustrates a box panel 24 in an unfolded position with the recessed portion 57 of the blank downward. As can be seen in FIG. 8, top tabs 92 and 93 are folded downward and perpendicular to the initial plane of the blank 24 at fold lines 90 and 91, cut lines 112, 114, 116 and 118 pennitting this to be done. Inner side tabs 64 and 66 can be folded upwardly and perpendicular to the plane of the blank along fold lines 60 and 62 due to cut lines 78, 78, 80 and 80'. Inner side panels 34 and 36 along with inner side tabs 82 and 84 are folded inwardly and perpendicular to the initial plane of the blank along fold lines 30 and 32, as can be seen in FIG. 9 causing tabs 64, 66, 92 and 93 to contact back panel 28.

The next step in folding the box blank is illustrated in FIG. 10. The blank is folded along fold lines 40 and 94 so that the bottom panel 44 and the top panel 96 are folded forward and perpendicular to the initial plane of the blank. The inner lid front panel 102 has a suitable adhesive on its hidden surface (in FIG. and is folded inwardly as can be seen in FIG. 11, and adheres to the surface of lid front panel 98.

The front panel 48 is then folded upwardly along line 46 and the lid front panel 98 is folded downwardly along fold line 99. Continuing, the outer side panels 34 and 36 and the inner lid outer side panels 108 and 109 having a suitable adhesive carried on their inside hidden surfaces (in FIG. 12) are folded toward the box structure along their respective fold lines so they will adhere to their corresponding inner side panels and tabs to form the box element, as can be seen in FIG. 13. Furthermore, it can be seen that the lid front panel 98 extends over the upper portion of the front panel 48 to cover the recessed portion 57 in the front panel 48.

The casing blank folding procedure is illustrated in FIGS. l4-16. The casing blank 26, as illustrated in FIG. 14, is positioned with its flap portion extending upwardly. Firstly, the sleeve inner side panel 122, the intermediate side panel 124 are folded inwardly and perpendicular to the initial plane of the blank along fold lines 126 and 128. The sleeve forward panel 130 is folded along line 132 towards rear panel 120 so that fold line 136 contacts the free end of panel 122. The hidden surface (as in FIG. 16) of panel 134 carries an adhesive which will cause panel 132 and 134 to adhere together when panel 134 is folded along line 136 against panel 122.

The box element 12 is inserted in the sleeve element 14, as seen in FIG. 17. The exposed surface of the sleeve flap panel 150 carries an adhesive and when flap top panel 150 is folded forward into contact with the lid panel 96 of the box element, the two panels are adhered together.

PACKAGE OPERATION As mentioned hereinabove, when opening the container, the bottom of the box element is pushed upward while sleeve 22 is held stationery, the restraint placed on lid 16 by the flap 22 being attached to the lid will cause the lid 16 to pivot rearwardly and open the box as well as move the lid from the vicinity of the top of the box to prevent obstructing access to the box.

A removable element of packaging foil 156 (see FIG. 2) is provided over the product and, when the foil is removed, the recessed portion 57 permits your access to the products. The cars 58 and 59, extending from the sides of front panel 48 of the product container portion 18, are provided to permit a snug fit when the lid is closed over the upper end of the product container portion. The cars prevent the lid from opening accidentally. As can be seen from the above description and illustrations, the present invention provides a crushproof box which can overcome the problems encountered with both the soft pack and the flip-top boxes that are used today. The present composite carton also will provide a crush-proof box which will not require extensive modification of existing cigarette packaging machinery;

This preferred embodiment can be modified in various ways, such as changing the material, changing the surface in which the adhesive is placed; however, these types of variations can be made to the subject invention without departing from the true spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispensing carton comprising a box element and a casing element mounted on said box element, wherein said box element includes:

a. a product containing portion including,

i. spaced, parallel front and back panels approximately the same size, said front panel having a recessed portion to permit easy access to the products,

ii. spaced, parallel side panels located between said front and back panels, and

iii. a bottom panel, closing one end of said product containing portion while the other end remains open; and

b. a lid portion including:

i. spaced, parallel front and back lid panels, said front lid panel being of greater height than said back lid panel and extending over said recessed portion of said front panel when said lid portion is in a closed position, said back lid panel being integrally formed with said back panel of said product containing portion,

ii. a pair of lid side tabs disposed between said front and back lid panels, said side tabs having slanted lower edges,

iii. a top panel disposed between said front and back lid panels and said side tabs, and

iv. said lid portion adapted to pivot between the closed position covering the open end of said product containing portion and an open position exposing the product;

and wherein said casing element includes:

c. a sleeve including:

i. spaced, parallel forward and rear panels, said forward panel being lesser in height than said rear panel,

ii. spaced, parallel side panels located between said forward and rear panels, said side panels having slanted upper edges which are contacted by said slanted lower edges of said lid portion when said lid portion is in its closed position,

iii. said sleeve surrounding said product containing portion and being mounted for reciprocation between a first position when said lid portion is in its closed postion and a second position when said lid portion is in its open position; and

d. a flap integrally formed with the upper end of said rear panel and attached to the top panel of said lid portion, said flap being adapted to restrain the movement of said lid portion as said sleeve is reciprocated to its second position, thereby causing the lid portion to pivot and assume its open position. 

1. A dispensing carton comprising a box element and a casing element mounted on said box element, wherein said box element includes: a. a product containing portion including, i. spaced, parallel front and back panels approximately the same size, said front panel having a recessed portion to permit easy access to the products, ii. spaced, parallel side panels located between said front and back panels, and iii. a bottom panel, closing one end of said product containing portion while the other end remains open; and b. a lid portion including: i. spaced, parallel front and back lid panels, said front lid panel being of greater height than said back lid panel and extending over said recessed portion of said front panel when said lid portion is in a closed position, said back lid panel being integrally formed with said back panel of said product containing portion, ii. a pair of lid side tabs disposed between said front and back lid panels, said side tabs having slanted lower edges, iii. a top panel disposed between said front and back lid panels and said side tabs, and iv. said lid portion adapted to pivot between the closed position covering the open end of said product containing portion and an open position exposing the product; and wherein said casing element includes: c. a sleeve including: i. spaced, parallel forward and rear panels, said forward panel being lesser in height than said rear panel, ii. spaced, parallel side panels located between said forward and rear panels, said side panels having slanted upper edges which are contacted by said slanted lower edges of said lid portion when said lid portion is in its closed position, iii. said sleeve surrounding said product containing portion and being mounted for reciprocation between a first position when said lid portion is in its closed postion and a second position when said lid portion is in its open position; and d. a flap integrally formed with the upper end of said rear panel and attached to the top panel of said lid portion, said fLap being adapted to restrain the movement of said lid portion as said sleeve is reciprocated to its second position, thereby causing the lid portion to pivot and assume its open position. 